The Greene Thumb
by LemonStar
Summary: ..Daryl/Beth.. AU - no zombies. Two shot. He works hard every day and then goes to a quiet home that's all his and sometimes, he'll drive past The Greene Thumb and try to get a look at the pretty blonde inside.
1. Chapter 1

**I have been wanting to write about this for the longest time now. Daryl's POV is the first part and Beth's POV will be the second part. I hope you like it!**

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…

 **Part 1 of 2.**

The first time he sees her, he is standing at the bus stop, cursing his brother's name – which isn't actually out of the ordinary – but standing at the bus stop on the corner by his place is.

Merle had borrowed his pickup truck the night before – just a quick stop at the bar, he had promised – and Daryl had been stupid enough to believe him; until he woke up to his phone ringing and Merle calling, saying that he had decided to take a quick trip down to Florida for the weekend – or week or month, knowing Merle. And with his bike currently in the shop being worked on in his spare time, Daryl has no choice, but to take the bus and curse his brother's name.

He sees her when he steps away from everyone else waiting to light a cigarette. Her shop is on the corner and he sees her turning on the lights inside. _The Greene Thumb_ is printed on the glass in green lettering and through the large front window, Daryl can see the greenery of all kinds of plants and bursts of colors from arrangements of flowers.

And he can see her.

He can't see her that clearly, but he can see her blonde hair and the happy smile spreading across her face when an older man wearing a fishing cap comes in through her door as soon as she flips the sign from 'Closed' to 'Open'.

Daryl looks at her through the window as he smokes his cigarette, but he doesn't know why. Does he know her from somewhere? Is that why he is looking at her? He's trying to remember from where?

There's no way he knows her though. He doesn't know any girls that look like her.

He just knows that he winds up standing there, smoking his cigarette and watching her through the window of the store until the bus comes.

…

He has been working his ass off and putting aside a little bit of money every month and he finally has a good enough job that allows him to do that.

He figures it's time to get himself a good enough place to live now, too, and he looks around, finding a place he thinks will work in a nice enough neighborhood filled with couples with their kids running around and dogs barking at the ice cream truck. He contacts the realtor and the woman shows it to him, explaining that it's a condo because he will own it and it's not like an apartment where he pays rent every month.

The place is simple enough. White walls and tan carpet with two good-sized bedrooms and two bathrooms and it's on the first floor so through a sliding door, there's a concrete slab of patio that would be his, too.

It's ninety thousand and Daryl has more than enough saved to put for a down payment.

It's the nicest place he's ever lived in and some mornings, he'll wake up and just keep lying in bed for a second or two, reminding himself that he actually lives here now.

…

Daryl works in the mechanic's garage for one of the car dealerships, seeing to a steady stream of cars all day – doing everything from oil changes and mile maintenance up to fixing shot transmissions and replacing starters.

Working on cars has always been easy for him – fiddling with them ever since he was a little kid, following Merle into junkyards where his older brother would salvage for anything he could take to the metal man for pocket money and Daryl would climb into the cars that were nothing more than piles of rusted out junk and he'd play around in them until Merle shouted at him that they were leaving.

He finds the work soothing in a way and somedays, it doesn't even feel like his brain is telling what his hands what to do. They know exactly what to do all on their own.

He has a quiet life for himself – finally; except for when Merle randomly drops in, but that doesn't happen often. No matter how old Merle is, he seems incapable of staying in one spot for so long and though Daryl loves his older brother, he has no problem with that. He may live in a place with two bedrooms now, but he's not looking for Merle to move in with him. Daryl already lived with him for a few years and he's not looking to again.

He works hard every day and then goes to a quiet home that's all his and sometimes, he'll drive past _The Greene Thumb_ and try to get a look at the pretty blonde inside.

…

Daryl trusts his instincts. He's always been good at reading people and when he gets an impression on someone, he's hardly – if ever – wrong about that person.

He's never exchanged a word with the blonde girl who works in the plant store. He just catches glimpses of her through the windows as he roars past on his motorcycle. She always is smiling at any customer standing in front of her and it's not a typical smile that salespeople in stores _have_ to give to people. It's a smile that the girl is giving as if every single customer is some near and dear friend of hers; as if she is truly happy to see them and to offer any help they might need.

Daryl wonders if she ever gets exhausted, smiling and being in a good mood all of the time like that. He honestly kind of gets exhausted just watching her for a few seconds.

But one night, as he's heading home, he is stopped at a red light at the intersection of where _The Greene Thumb_ is and as he sits idly on his bike, waiting for the light to change, his head naturally turns to see if he can catch a glimpse of her.

It's dark and the lights in the plant store are pouring out onto the street. He sees her standing at the plants she has hanging in the windows, watering each from a can, and he can see it as clearly as if he was standing right inside with her.

She's crying.

…

 _The Greene Thumb_ is closed for the next few days.

Daryl drives past it in the mornings on his way to work and she usually opens around seven, but the sign remains flipped to "Closed" and the lights remain off. He drives past on his way from home, but it's the same thing. He even drives past during his lunch break, just to see if maybe she had just opened her store late.

But it remains empty for almost a week and he doesn't know why, but he finds himself being worried about her. He hopes she's okay.

He also wonders who is watering all of the plants with her gone.

…

Daryl doesn't realize what he's doing when he parks his motorcycle on the curb outside of the store and going up the two brick steps, stepping inside, a tiny bell tinkling softly above his head to announce his arrival, until he does it.

She is at a table in the middle of the room, watering all sorts of green things, and she lifts her head to see who it is. She smiles warmly at him as if she's been expecting him.

"Hello," she says and her voice is just how he imagined it would be.

Her voice is just how he knows the rest of her is.

It's kind.

"Can I help you find something in particular or are you just looking?" She asks.

Daryl takes a moment to look around the store he's been driving past for weeks now. It's smaller than he initially thought. The windows somehow make it seem bigger than it is. The floor is a warm light wood and there are tables set up in the middle of the room and along the walls, every inch of them covered with all kinds of plants. There is a counter with her cash register and there are buckets of all kinds of flowers behind there.

She's standing at a table full of different cactus of all shape and size and she holds her watering can in her hands. Daryl's eyes go back to looking at her. Up close, he can see that her eyes are blue. He wonders how old she is because she looks young; too young to own her own little store and too young for him to have been watching her.

"Uh…" he finally remembers that she's asked him a question. "I've just moved into a place-" _Three months ago_. "-and I was thinkin' 'bout gettin' some… color for it," he says and he wonders if he's maybe the dumbest sounding person to ever come in here.

But she just keeps on smiling.

"Of course. A house doesn't really feel like a home until there are plants in it. At least in my opinion," she says and there's a slight laugh in her tone. "Do you want anything in particular? I have just about anything, but if there's something that you want that I don't have, I can always place an order."

She has stepped away from the cactus table and has taken a step towards him.

Every bit of her is a little thing compared to him, Daryl notes.

What the hell is he doing in here?

"I don't know the first thing 'bout plants," he tells her honestly.

She never stops smiling.

"I'll find you something that will be perfect," she promises him and he doesn't even know her name – yet – but Daryl finds himself believing her.

Not only is she kind and pretty, there's something else about her. He can't imagine her ever wanting to let someone down.

She looks around for a moment, thinking, and then begins heading towards the front windows. Daryl follows after her. She sweeps to a green plant with tall sturdy leaves in a white pot.

"This is a snake plant and it handles neglect _very_ well. I gave one to my sister when she moved into her new place and Maggie waters it just about whenever she remembers to and the thing is still alive and growing. They can grow in low light, but prefer brighter conditions. You don't want to water it too much because it can get root rot, which is actually what kills most plants. Just make sure the soil is dry between each watering."

Daryl looks at the plant.

He doesn't ask how much it is and he still doesn't know what the hell he's doing in here.

"Yeah, that looks good," he tells her. "I'll take this one."

Christ, she's got a pretty smile.

…

Daryl carries the snake plant into every room in his condo, looking for the perfect spot. He wants to make sure that it gets plenty of light and there is a section of tiled floor in front of the sliding door and Daryl finally sets it down there on the floor. It will get plenty of light there and once it's down, he takes a step back to see how it looks.

Maybe he should buy a little table for it. He wonders if the girl sells plant stands.

But it looks alright there for now. He gets down on his knees and gently presses his fingers on the dirt, checking to see how dry it is and if he should water it.

He really has no clue what the hell he's doing.

…

The bell tinkles and she's behind the counter this time, wrapping paper around the stems of a bouquet of flowers in front of her. She turns her head and he swears, when she sees that it's him, her smile seems to actually grow brighter.

She looks back to the old man in the fishing cap and hands him the flowers. "There you go, Dale," she says.

"See you tomorrow, Beth," he says as he heads out the door, the bouquet in hand.

Beth.

Finally. He knows her name and it's Beth.

Daryl doesn't understand it, but he thinks that that name is perfect for her. There's a lot of things he's not understanding lately.

"Hello, again," Beth smiles and comes out from behind the counter. "How's the snake plant?" She asks.

It's been four days since he's been in here and she still remembers what he bought.

"'s good," he remembers to answer her. "Don't think it's dead yet."

She laughs at that. "What can I do for you today?"

 _What can I do for you today?_

That's a damn good question and one Daryl should have been prepared to answer, but instead, he's looking at her and his tongue feels swollen. What the hell is going on with him? He's never been good around people, but he usually just keeps to himself because he knows that. Why is he coming here all of a sudden and why is he a bigger idiot only when around her?

"Uh, I'm thinkin' I wanna get another plant," he finally gets out because why the hell else would he be coming into a plant store? It sounds like a good answer to him.

"Of course," Beth smiles. "Another snake plant or something else?"

"Somethin' I can't kill."

She laughs and leads him towards one of the front windows again. She takes a moment, looking at everything in front of them. She then points up to a hanging basket to a plant with long green leaves with tints of yellow to them, and it looks like it's growing crazy, the leaves spilling out.

"That's a spider plant and it's been said to be the easiest household plant to not kill."

"Challenge accepted," Daryl says before he can stop himself.

Beth just laughs though and her laugh is light and easy and with the sun shining through the windows onto her face, Daryl already knows he's never seen anything prettier.

…

He buys a hook before heading home and then that evening, he drills the hook into the ceiling near his patio door and the snake plant on the floor. He hangs the spider plant from it and then, like he did days earlier, he takes a step back to look at them both.

Beth's right. It's strange, but now, with the two plants in the room, things feel like they're coming together a little bit more in this place.

…

"Hey, baby brother."

"Where the hell are you?" Daryl all but growls when he hears his brother's voice on the other end of the phone. "And where's my truck? I swear to God, Merle. If you've-"

"Whoa, whoa," Merle says with a laugh. "Take it easy, Darlina."

Daryl absolutely despises that nickname, but he snaps his mouth shut anyway and he waits for Merle to explain things to him.

"I'm in Alabama," Merle states as if it's so obvious. Like where the hell else would he be?

"With my truck?" Daryl asks.

"Don't worry, Daryl. 'm takin' good care of it," Merle assures him.

Daryl doubts that. "When you headin' back this way?"

"Not too sure. But I'll be back 'fore you even miss me."

"I miss my truck," Daryl grumbles and Merle laughs as if that's the funniest thing he's ever heard even though Daryl is completely serious.

This is what Merle does. Merle shows up and then leaves for a bit before coming back. Daryl's gotten used to it and as he's gotten older, he's use to not missing his brother. Merle being Merle, he'll show up on Daryl's doorstep sooner or later. That's certain.

What's not certain is if he will bring back his truck in one piece.

…

He's on his way to work and is stopped at the red light in front of _The Greene Thumb_. He naturally looks towards it. The sign is still on "Closed" and the lights are off, but then he sees Beth coming around the corner and somehow, her eyes land right on him in the street. She greets him with a wide smile and a slight wave of her hand.

Daryl looks behind him to see there are cars waiting for the light to change to green, and he doesn't think about it. He just pulls the motorcycle from the line and stops next to the curb. Beth meets him, standing next to the bike and giving him a smile. She is holding a white paper cup in her hand of, what he assumes to be, coffee.

"Good morning," Beth smiles. "I've just realized something."

"Wha's that?"

She's wearing a green knit hat on her head this morning and he wonders if she wears green on purpose or if it's just her favorite color.

And not only does he notice what the hell this girl is wearing, Daryl finds that he actually wants to ask her about it. What the hell is going on with him? Somehow, he blames Merle. If Merle hadn't taken his truck and he hadn't been stuck taking the bus that day, he never would have ever seen Beth from _The Greene Thumb_ and he wouldn't be sitting here now, thinking about how pretty she is.

"I don't know your name," she says, her cheeks becoming a deep pink as if she's embarrassed about that for some reason.

"Daryl," he says and then clears his throat when his voice sounds a little too rough to his ears. "Daryl," he repeats and for some reason, hearing his name makes her smile.

"Daryl," Beth repeats softly, more to herself than to be heard by him. "I hope you have a wonderful day, Daryl," she says with the softest smile on her face that almost makes him squirm because no one has ever smiled at him like that and he doesn't know what to do.

"You, too," he manages to say and then, without another word or look towards her, he looks over his shoulder, checking on oncoming traffic before he revs his motorcycle and pulls away, telling himself that no, he's not running away. He just can't be late for work.

…

Daryl tells himself to stay away from the plant store for a while, but of course, he's a Dixon and a dumb shit and can't even listen to himself.

Beth is standing with a man and a woman as they go over a variety of plants, the couple discussing what they want, and Beth showing them some options and when she hears the bell, she turns her head and instantly smiles when she sees that it's him.

Daryl does his best to smile back, but he knows he fails miserably at it.

As strange as it probably sounds to other people, he's just not used to smiling.

With his hands in his pockets, Daryl walks over to the table in the middle of the store where the entire surface is covered with cactus. He wonders if he should buy one of these next. The spider and snake plants are both still alive and he thinks he might be getting the hang of this whole taking-care-of-plants thing.

The couple is around for a few more minutes and Beth rings their purchases up. The woman walks out with two plants in her arm and the man is carrying what looks like a mini tree with dark, shiny leaves.

"Hi."

He turns quickly towards the voice and Beth is standing there, smiling as always.

"Hey," he says. "Wha' was that?"

"Which one?"

"That tree lookin' thing."

Beth smiles. "A rubber tree."

"They hard to kill?"

"Yes. And they do grow into actual trees unless you keep them trimmed. They'll stay short and busy if you trim them." Beth walks towards the wall where more little trees are and Daryl follows after her. "Are you interested in a rubber tree?" She asks.

"I am now," he answers her and she laughs a little at that.

"Medium to bright light, allow the soil to dry between each watering," she instructs and Daryl nods, picking up one of the pots while reaching for his wallet with his other hand. Again, he hasn't even looked at how much it costs. "You're turning into a regular horticulturist," Beth then comments as she takes the cash he's handed her and walks towards the register.

"I've got no idea what that is so I'm trustin' that you didn' jus' insult me," Daryl replies.

She laughs again and he shifts the tree into the crook of one arm so he can take the change with the other. He ignores the way her soft fingers graze across his skin as she passes the money to him. Or, he _tries_ to ignore it.

He's figuring out that when it comes this girl, it's pretty damn impossible to ignore anything.

…

The rubber tree is placed next to the snake plant, which seems to have grown in Daryl's opinion and he's not going to lie. He feels pretty damn proud that he's keeping these things alive.

He wonders where Beth lives and what her place looks like. He bets it looks like this, but times a thousand. He wonders how many plants she has and she probably has more complex plants than just what isn't easy to kill.

He wonders what she would think if he was to invite her over to look at his plants. She already knows about his plants. She sold them to him. But maybe he could invite her over just so she could see for herself that he's actually keeping them alive.

He imagines she would turn him down flat. She doesn't know him expect he's a guy who comes into her store once every few days and buys a new plant. He doesn't think Beth is that stupid where she would just go to some guy's place without knowing him better.

But then, he starts to imagine her actually saying that yes, she would love to come over to his place and look at his plants.

Daryl's eyes sweep around the room that's his living room and dining room and kitchen all in the same space. It's a big room; simple.

It's clean. He is always sure to keep his place clean. But there's not much in the rooms. Just a few pieces of furniture and these plants. There's no way he could bring a girl like Beth over here.

And why the hell is he thinking about it anyway? He's never going to ask her and even if he manages to get the question out, she'll never accept. There's nothing to worry about.

…

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 **Thank you very much for reading and please take a moment to review!**


	2. Chapter 2

…

 **Part 2 of 2.**

Beth learns everything she knows about plants from her mom. Annette has always loved them – so much more than flowers because, as she explains it, everyone loves flowers. Plants need some love, too.

She fills the Greene farmhouse with so much greenery, her dad, Hershel, has joked that they will have to start sleeping outside to make room for all of the plants. Beth helps Annette care for them; watering them, pulling off the dead leaves so new ones can grow, positioning them with the proper amount of sunlight, checking room temperatures. Beth sometimes even plays the piano for them or talks to them them because it is known that those things can help plants grow, too.

Beth gets her college degree in horticulture – with a minor in music – and she begins discussing plans with Annette to open their own plant store. There are so many flower shops – and yes, Beth will sell flowers, too – but she really wants to focus on plants.

Annette thinks it was one of the best things she has ever heard.

When Annette passes away from breast cancer, and completely distraught, Hershel throws all of his wife's plants from the house away, Beth is even more determined to open up her own plant store.

She almost names it _Annette's_ , but _The Greene Thumb_ has been the name Annette had thought of to use and most days, Beth still thinks it's the best thing she's ever heard.

…

Daryl is back and Beth tries to tell herself to not look so happy, but she can't help it because that is exactly how she feels. She doesn't even know him except that he comes in once a week to buy a new, different plant and being around him makes her stomach clench and she hasn't had a clench in her stomach like this for so long.

He's not like the other guys she has found herself attracted to in the past.

For one, Daryl is a _man_. Older than her with the slightest bags under his eyes as if maybe, he never seems to get quite enough sleep. His hair is dark – almost black – and it is grown long, always hanging in his face and yet Beth can't imagine – and she imagines it a lot, actually – him with short hair. Even with the jacket he wears, she can see the muscles move in his arms when he lifts one of the planted pots up and Beth has never given that much thought to muscles on a man before, but honestly, with Daryl, it seems like it's the only thing she _can_ think about.

She shows him a cast-iron plant today. "I've had one since high school. I don't want to call it indestructible, but… it kind of is." She gives him a smile. "They grow slow and steady so I would buy one at the size you want. Low light and these guys can survive basically in any kind of temperature."

"Sounds good." Daryl hoists one of the planters up into his arms and she makes sure that she quickly moves her eyes away from his arms.

She tells herself that he probably has a girlfriend or even a wife even if he doesn't wear a ring. _Of course_ he would have either of those things. Beth can't imagine this man in front of her being single; can't imagine that the entire female population is that blind.

She walks to the counter and hits a few buttons on her cash register. Daryl stands on the other side and hands her some cash. He never pays with a credit card and she has wanted to ask him about it more than once before she swiftly reminds herself that that is definitely none of her business.

She gives him a smile as she hands him his change. "Have a wonderful day, Daryl."

"Thanks," he says to her in that gruff voice of his that actually makes her want to shiver. He starts heading towards the door, but then he stops himself. He looks back at her. "You, too," he then says to her and Beth doesn't care how big her smile is right then.

…

She moved out after graduating from college and got her own place on the first floor with a sliding door and a private patio that she has plants both on the ground and hanging from hooks. Inside, there are plenty of plants, too.

She likes to think that her mom would have absolutely loved her place.

She goes back to the farm every Sunday though to go to church with her daddy and then to do his laundry and cook him dinner and straighten the house a bit. Hershel tells her again and again that she doesn't have to do all of these things, but Beth ignores him again and again and she sees nothing wrong in making sure that he's taken care of.

And she loves them, but she can't rely on Maggie and Shawn to look after their dad.

"You're just like your mama with all of your fussing over me," Hershel smiles.

Beth smiles, too, because comparing her to Annette is the best thing he can do.

Hershel is tinkering with the toaster that always pops bread up after just exactly ten seconds and Beth is stirring the egg noodles for the beef stroganoff she has prepared for dinner when there is a knock on the front door.

Hershel looks to the clock and then stands up. "I hope you don't mind, Bethy, but I invited someone over for supper tonight."

"Of course not, daddy," Beth smiles at him. "The more the merrier and I made plenty."

Of course, when Hershel goes to answer the door and returns a few minutes later with Mrs. Harper, a widow from church, and she's holding a pecan pie in her hands, Beth immediately wishes she could take her words back.

…

"You alrigh' today?"

Daryl's question breaks through her clouded mind and she looks at him to see that he's looking at her with a slight frown, but she won't allow herself to think that he's actually concerned about her.

They have been looking at Boston ferns today and her mind has completely wandered.

She shakes her head slightly and tilts her eyes up, looking to the man, doing her best to give him a genuine smile because there's no reason why he doesn't deserve one.

"I'm alright," she says and then clears her throat. "Um, medium amount of sun and this guy likes to stay moist. It's perfect for Georgia because Boston ferns love humidity."

She stretches on her toes to take the hanging planter down from its hook, but Daryl beats her to it. His arm stretches past her and he is so close to her, she can feel his warmth and smell his scent. She almost closes her eyes at the close proximity, but thankfully, she's able to quickly step back before she can make a fool of herself.

She goes to the counter and he follows her to pay for his newest plant. She wants to ask him why he is buying so many plants, but she won't dare, because if she asks, maybe he'll figure she doesn't want his business and he'll go somewhere else.

Any sale is a good sale, but more than that, she knows she would miss if he stopped coming here. Seeing him every week had become the highlight of her week and she can't help, but wonder if he ever thinks about her at all during his week.

She lets out a sigh. "My mom passed away three years ago and I go see my daddy every Sunday and this past Sunday, he had invited a woman over for dinner. A woman!" Beth hears herself exclaim before she can keep herself quiet and poor Daryl is looking at her, a bit frozen, and she instantly wishes she could have just held it in to herself.

"Sorry," she says and hands him his change. "I think I just need a drink."

Daryl puts his change back into his wallet, slowly and neatly as he always does. "There's a place I know not too far from here. If you wanna get a drink," he offers.

Beth sees the tips of his ears, poking through his hair, turning the faintest red. She wonders if he's just telling her where she can get a drink or if he wants her to get a drink with _him_.

After a moment, she decides to gather her Maggie courage. The worst thing that can happen is he gives her the name of the bar and he won't be joining her. That's definitely not _the_ worst thing to ever happen to her.

"That sounds great," she finally says with a smile, feeling a little breathless as she looks at him. He _has_ to have a girlfriend.

Daryl gives a nod and visibly swallows as if he's nervous. "We can walk there from here."

Now, she definitely feels like she can't breathe.

…

The bar is small and there are a few other patrons – patrons who seem like they're regulars. Beth wonders how they view the picture she and Daryl make, sitting on stools next to each other at the bar with a Boston fern plant sitting at his elbow. She offered to keep the plant inside the store until they got back, but Daryl shook his head.

"Might spruce the place up," he had said and had smiled a little when she had laughed.

Daryl orders a beer and Beth gets a whiskey sour and Daryl tells the bartender to put it on his tab, making Beth think that he's a regular here, too.

"I'm sorry for just unloading on you," she says after her first sip.

Daryl shrugs. "Sometimes, a person just gotta let it out," he says.

"I just wish I had my brother or sister to unload on, but I already know what they'll say. They'll say that I'm overreacting and it's been three years and don't I want our dad to try and be happy again."

Daryl is just blinking at her and she sighs.

"And that's what you're thinking right now, too," she concludes.

Daryl shrugs and takes a sip from his beer bottle. "'m not sayin' anything."

"But you're thinking it," she says again and she finds herself turning on her stool more so she's facing him. "It's okay if that's what you're thinking. It's the perfectly logical thing to be thinking and I know that. I just can't… it's selfish of me and no, I don't want my dad to be miserable in however many years he has left on this earth, but… she was my mom."

Beth sighs again and takes another sip of her drink.

Daryl takes another sip of his beer. "'m not good at givin' advice."

"You don't have to," she assures him with a shake of her head and a gentle smile. "Just offering to sit with me while I bitch out loud means more to me anyway."

His lips twitch upwards a little at that and her own smile bursts across her face at the site.

"You don't have a girlfriend, do you?" She finally feels brave enough to ask.

Daryl smirks a little and shakes his head, putting the bottle to his lips for a sip. "If I did, I wouldn' be sittin' here with you."

And that answer is exactly the answer – in so many ways – that she hoped he would give.

"I just hate how older siblings think they know everything. Even if they're completely wrong," Beth sighs heavily.

This time, Daryl gives something that looks a little bit more than a smirk. More like a smile. "Tell me 'bout it," he says and Beth smiles as if she understands exactly what – or who – he's thinking about.

…

Maggie sets her up on a blind date even though she really – _really_ (she can't emphasize that enough) – doesn't want to go.

As always though, Maggie takes her answer and swiftly ignores it before going through Beth's closet to try and find her the perfect dress to wear for tonight.

The young man, Benjamin, is perfectly nice. Maggie would never set her up with a total jerk, but he's so young looking, Beth has to actually come out and ask how old he is.

He laughs at the question. "Twenty-six," he answers. "No drinking or smoking and I get eight hours of sleep a night. It does wonders," he says and she smiles a little at that.

She knows she shouldn't and it's not fair to Benjamin for her to, but Beth can't help, but look at the young man sitting across from her and compare him to a man who's older with the slightest bags under his eyes.

…

"You don't have any pets, do you?" Beth asks as Daryl picks out one of the dracaena plants that he is buying and taking home with him that evening. "This one is poisonous to animals if you have any."

"Nah," Daryl shakes his head as he hoists one of the spiky plants into his arms.

"This is one of my favorites," Beth smiles as she takes the cash he's holding out for her.

"So that mean you don't have any pets either?" Daryl asks.

Beth smiles. She is going to think that he is trying to get to know her and nothing will be able to convince her otherwise.

"My daddy was a vet before he retired so I grew up with all sorts of animals always around. I miss it." She hands him his change. "I actually would love to get a dog. He could come to work with me every day. A shop dog," she smiles at the thought.

Daryl is quiet for a moment. "That sounds real nice," he then comments in a quiet tone.

And not that Beth is the sort who needs approval from a man, but Daryl saying that, she's not going to lie to herself; him saying that sounds nice, too.

…

"After all of this time, I still have no idea what you do," Beth says.

Once again, they are sitting on two stools at the bar after she has closed up show for the night. This time, there's an aloe plant next to him. She is already wondering what is going to happen once she sells him all of the hard-to-kill houseplants.

Daryl smiles a little as he tears open a peanut shell from the basket between them. "'m a mechanic," he answers. "Over at the Chevy dealership."

"That's awesome!" Beth beams and hopes she doesn't sound as lame as she fears. "My daddy taught all of us how to change a flat tire when we first started driving. No reason to be stranded on the side of the road for that, he always said."

"He ain't wrong. 'specially a girl who looks like you," he says and even in the low lights of the bar, she can see the flush creeping up his neck at his words and he looks away.

Beth just keeps smiling though, her own stomach tumbling all about inside from his words. She takes a sip of her drink tonight – just Coke.

"That _is_ awesome that you can do that," Beth continues, hoping he isn't too embarrassed to keep talking. "And to work for a dealership, you must be really good at it."

Daryl shrugs. "'ve just always loved it. The only thing I've ever been good at."

Beth smiles. "That's how I am with plants. It seems such like a useless, silly talent-"

"Nothin' silly 'bout bein' able to keep things alive," Daryl cuts in.

She stares at him and slowly, her mouth closes.

She has never looked at it that way, but isn't that exactly what she does? The plants around her suck up carbon monoxide and fills the air with fresh oxygen and most of her plants can also help with medicinal purposes. Plants just aren't plants. The world _needs_ plants and using Daryl's logic, keeping her plants alive, she is keeping her own corner of the earth alive, too.

"That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me," she says.

Daryl gives her a look like maybe she's crazy, but Beth doesn't care because it's the truth. And this man in front of her is the one to have had said it.

Not for the first time in her life, she wishes she had Maggie courage to do something about it.

But instead, she just sips her Coke and Daryl eats more peanuts.

…

Benjamin calls her, seeing if she wants to go out again, and Beth _does_ feel awful when she declines.

He's actually a genuinely nice man and he's actually showing an interest in her. She's letting her crush on Daryl though hold her back. What if she goes out with Benjamin and Daryl finally shows her that he likes her like she likes him?

Or what if she starts going out more and more with Benjamin and she suddenly finds herself in a relationship with him and Daryl never makes a move because of it?

Does he even want to make a move?

This is the first _man_ she has ever found herself attracted to and Beth realizes that she knows absolutely nothing about them.

…

"You will love this one," Beth smiles as she helps him pick a philodendron. "It is the all-star of indoor plants. It's hardy and adapts to any kind of light level. But it is a climber and this one's toxic, too, to animals and kids so be aware of that."

"This one's good," Daryl says and he picks up one of the plants in a cream-colored planter. "This one good?" He then asks.

"It's good," she smiles warmly at him.

At the register, he hands her cash, as he always does, and Beth hands him his change, as she always does.

"You have quite the collection now," she says, admitting to herself that she doesn't want him to leave. Can she ask him out for a drink even though they just went to the bar together a couple of nights before?

She doesn't want him to think that she's some kind of lush or boozehound.

Having a crush on a man is ridiculously nerve-wracking and she's just not used to being so unsure of herself all of the time.

"Actually," Daryl starts to say and then clears his throat. He looks down to the plant and then to her. "I was hopin' you could help me."

"Of course," Beth instantly agrees.

"Some of my plants are wiltin' a lil' and I'm not sure why. I was hopin' you wouldn't mind comin' to my place and takin' a look at them. Maybe I'm waterin' 'em too much… or not enough," he says, looking to his plant again instead of at her.

Beth feels her stomach tumble. "I would love to," she says and she wonders if she sounds as breathless as she thinks she does.

…

Daryl's condo is a medium-size and clean and still smells like fresh paint.

She hasn't realized how many plants he had actually bought from her until she sees them all on a patch of tiled floor in front of his patio door. Either on the floor or hanging from hooks on the ceiling and Daryl steps aside so she can go to them.

She is quiet as she kneels down and begins inspecting each one. Pressing fingers into the dirt, touching the leaves.

She turns her head when Daryl crouches next to her.

"You're silly," she gives him a smile. "All of these look as good as the day you bought them. You have a wonderful green thumb."

Daryl is looking at all of the plants and he is rubbing a hand on the back of his neck.

"I jus' said that. That they were wiltin'," he says and Beth can't help, but have her brows furrow a bit at what he has said. Daryl clears his throat and stands up. "I didn't know how else to get you to come over."

Beth stands up, too. She wonders if this is when any other woman would start to feel nervous; being in a man's home with no one else knowing that she's here.

But standing in front of Daryl, looking up at him as he looks at anything _but_ her, she feels anything, but nervous or scared. Actually, she feels a tightness in her chest and it is almost as if she's anticipating something; what, she has no idea.

"Daryl," she says his name and his eyes flick over to her.

"'cause I wanted to see you outside of your store or a bar," he manages to mumble. "'ve been tryin' to think of a way to see you outside the store for a while now."

Beth's stomach won't stop churning. "Why did you buy all of these plants?" She dares to ask. She knows what she hopes his answer will be, but she needs to hear it from him.

"You know," he mumbles and shrugs. Beth keeps looking at him and his ears are red again. "I bought all of these plants 'cause I knew I wanted to talk to you, but I didn't know how."

He is staring at the wall, but when she takes a step closer to him, he moves his eyes once more to her. And this time, he keeps them on her.

It's incredible to Beth; how much she can want something without even really realizing it until the second when it's presented to her.

She looks up at Daryl, feeling amazed.

She doesn't need Maggie courage right now. She can do this all on her own.

Taking another step into him, she stands on her toes, throws her arms around his shoulders and kisses him.

…

 **The End.**

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I'm glad I was able to write this idea out that has been in my head for months now.**


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